The Lonely Hearts Club
by About-Yearning
Summary: Friendship, not slash. Headmaster and Potions Master have a heart-to-heart on Valentine's Day about lost loves. Could be canon. Spoilers for DH.


**Disclaimer: ****Not mine.**

**Summary:**** Friendship, not slash. Severus and Albus have a heart-to-heart. Could be canon. Set during **_**Sorcerer's Stone**_**, but spoilers for DH. **

_February 14th, 1992_

Severus Snape hated Valentine's Day with a passion rivaled only by his hatred of James Potter.

Perhaps because the two subjects were indirectly linked.

It had been eleven years, eleven long years since the only woman he had ever loved had died. Not a day went by that he didn't think of Lily, or the two ways in which he lost her-to Potter, and finally, to death. It wasn't like he could exactly forget her, not when that brat of a boy sat in his class every day, and stared at him with her eyes.

But Valentine's day was the worst. Not that it was something he thought he'd like much even if he didn't sleep alone, but on this day... His loss was utterly impossible to avoid thinking about.

So he did the only thing he could think of to clear his head, and walked briskly (making sure to shoot terrifying glares at any students he passed) to the Astronomy tower. It was a favorite spot for student indiscretions, yes, but a simply charm would prevent anyone intruding on his gloom, and the view of the castle grounds while night fell was a secret pleasure of his.

However, when he arrived he found the place already occupied. Albus Dumbledore was standing there, hands clasping the stone rim of the tower, staring off into the distance.

Severus very nearly turned around and left right then. A too-wise dose of sympathy and talk of protecting what she died for was exactly what he _didn't _need right now. But something kept him walking closer.

The Headmaster turned around.

"Come to escape the festivities, Severus?" The old blue eyes didn't seem to twinkle as much as usual. "Ah-yes, Headmaster," Severus replied, voice smooth as always. "If you don't mind me asking, why aren't you there? Wasn't the Valentine's Day dance _your _idea?" Albus inclined his head. "Yes indeed. But doing what one thinks is a good idea does not always mean one must enjoy it."

Severus blinked a bit in confusion. He had always been under the distinct impression that the headmaster loved nothing more than a ridiculously gaudy party. "Ah." he said, rather blankly. Albus looked down at the lake. "You know, Severus, you aren't the only one with a broken heart..." He seemed to be talking mostly to himself, but Severus found himself intrigued. "Headmaster?" The old man turned to smile, rather sadly, at him. "I loved once, too, you know. Really, it's why I gave you that second chance so many years ago. I know the power love can have." Severus found himself rather dumbstruck, not a usual feeling at all. For some reason, Albus Dumbledore and heartbreak were two subjects he had never linked together before.

"Who... who was she?" He asked, not sure if he had the right. Dumbledore blinked, and looked away. "Oh, you know him. Rather famous really. I was young and foolish, and my love for him led me to take leave of my morals for a while. I paid for that in the end, and I suppose you could say I've been making up for it since." Albus looked a bit ashamed then, and younger by far than Severus had ever seen him. For perhaps the first time, he saw the headmaster as a human like any other, and not just the annoyingly wise old man who was both Severus' only friend and the second-greatest irritant in his life. That Albus was gay didn't faze him. It made sense, in a strange way, now that he thought about it. But who...? "Do you mean Gellert Grindelwald?" He asked, unsure. He knew of Dumbledore's childhood friendship with the dark wizard, had wondered if it led to his reluctance to duel him, but surely... "Yes."

The answer was quiet. Ashamed. "And you've spent all these years punishing yourself for it?" Albus nodded. "Yes. Rather strange how alike and yet different we are, isn't it, Severus?"

Severus privately disagreed. He couldn't stand lemon drops, and he would curse himself before delivering any inspirational speeches. "But, headmaster, if... _love,_" he winced, "... has brought shame to you, why do you always laud it as some ultimate force of good? And why did it lead you to giving me a second chance?"

The headmaster sighed. "Don't you see, Severus? Love, like anything, can bring good or bad. It changed me for the worse, but it changed you for the better." He sighed once more.

"Cleverer than most men I may be, dear boy, but heartache hurts me like any other. Come, I have a fine elf-mulled wine in my office. Care for a drink? We should discuss Quirrell."

And just like that, Severus knew the time for confessions was over. Rolling his eyes (inwardly, of course) at the oddness of his whimsical employer, he followed Albus down the stairs.

**Short and odd, but it wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. **


End file.
